Young'uns!

We are seeing young’uns everywhere! In the backyard, the Downy Woodpeckers, the Cardinals, Mockers, Brown Thrashers, Crows, and the Chickadees are all bringing their babies to the yard and showing them the ropes. But today I got a special treat! I work in a 12 story building in downtown Baton Rouge. I’m on the 11^th floor and this floor is the only one with a significant ledge – it’s about a foot wide. I looked over and saw a bird on the ledge, so I crept over to look out. There was an American Kestrel eating a house sparrow! I tried to be careful, but after a minute I realized it wasn’t the least concerned about me…it was into its dinner! It stayed there for over an hour, eating and resting. People trooped in and out of my office to goggle, we took digital pictures, the cleaning service vacuumed, but still the bird stayed! I was convinced it couldn’t see us…but then Poppa showed up! He flew the ledge briefly, holding another bird part, saw us standing inside the window, and high-tailed it! He would come by every few minutes after that to check on Junior, but Junior was busy with the HOSP. He ate every single feather, beak to toenail.

After work I went by City Park/Univ lakes to try out my new scope. Not much to see at a distance, but I did get a very close look at a trio of Juvenile Green Herons. They were along the lake bank, almost in the duck and pigeon congregation. When they saw me looking, they beat it for the safety of a cypress tree. No parents in sight. I’ll go back tomorrow to try to get pictures. They were not quite adult size and still in juvie plumage – but obviously could fly a bit to get off the ground to get into the tree. I sought out one of the Green Heron nests to see how things were coming there. This one is in the “cove” near the gazebo with the scalloped bridge. The nest is under a cypress and not easy to see from shore, but I could make out 3 fuzzy, wobbly heads in the nest there too! Tomorrow I’ll check the other nest near Baton Rouge Beach and see if those eggs have hatched.

What fun!